Pictures in an Exhibition

The school where I observed that was built like Hogwarts.	"Hogwarts"
Great Rift Valley	Hogwarts even had a small bridge!
My sister and me at Great Rift Valley.	Some of my host family - Dad, Younger Brother, and Sister.
	Zebras on the side of the road!
Picking fruit at Grandma's.	The GIANT avocado we got to eat. It was delicious!
Plucking feathers from the chicken I slaughtered with my brother.	Mashing the potatoes, peas, and maize to make mukimo with my Grandma.
Mt. Kenya in the morning.
Kenya YAV group photo.	Beautiful waterfall in the village.

Fortune Favors the Brave

For those of you who know me well, this probably sounds like the last thing I would ever do, but it happened (I have video proof), and I’d do it again.

Pre-Slaughter

There I was, standing with blood spattered on my feet, laughing hysterically at myself. I had just slaughtered my first chicken, with the help of my brother, Maina. Earlier in the day, when my brothers had told me a chicken would be slaughtered for dinner, I quickly declared that I was interested in helping. As an animal lover and former vegetarian, I didn’t know if I would be able to follow through, but I knew it was a Kenyan encounter I needed to experience. As the slaughter drew nearer, I grew more nervous by the minute. I made Maina promise to help me since I wanted to cause the chicken as little pain as possible. Shaking, I held the knife to the chicken’s throat and began to saw. After the head was removed, I screamed a little as the chicken continued to move – I didn’t know it could do that! My family laughed along with me as Maina and I began to pluck the feathers. As soon as the chicken was clean we took it inside to cut it before cooking it. For some reason I hadn’t thought about removing the insides, but my stomach held strong. That night I feasted on the first chicken I had ever slaughtered.

Turns out slaughtering a chicken is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was a time of bonding and mutual understanding with my family, an experience I’ll never forget. I slaughtered a chicken – and I did it while wearing a skirt.

Spiritlife 2012

On July 20 I finished work at Calvin Crest Camp and Conference Center, where I worked for about eight weeks this summer. These are the amazing people who were on staff with me. Although it was hot, I had a wonderful time. I started going to camp at Calvin Crest after first grade, and have gone almost every summer since. It’s always been a place of great faith growth for me. The highlight of my summer was the last week, when I had the opportunity to go mountain biking on the trails surrounding Calvin Crest. It was a small group, just five campers, but they all did an awesome job, especially the girls. The two girls grew a lot during the week, both in skill and in faith. Since I was so busy this summer, and focused on camp, I didn't have much time to think about my upcoming travel. I don't exactly feel prepared at this point, but I don’t think I’ll ever be fully prepared for where this path is about to lead me.

The Start of a Journey

I've recently been selected to be a YAV (Young Adult Volunteer) for the Presbyterian church to Africa for 2012-2013. I don't know much about my placement now, other than I should either be in Kenya or Tanzania. I'm hoping to teach at a school and work along with a church. I will be posting on this blog throughout the next year and a half as I take my journey.